How to Make a Kick-Ass Wonder Gal Costume for Kids
What’s more badass than dressing up as a superhero? This easy-to-make Wonder Gal costume is a perfect way to get girls flexing their muscles and letting their imaginations take flight.
The DIY superhero costume, featured in the new book Superhero Sewing by Lane Huerta, actually started out as an outfit for a real-life Wonder Gal. “I was inspired by my daughter’s creative dress-up around our home and wanted to create something she could play with that would last the test of time, while being visually interesting,” says Huerta, founder of Lovelane Designs, which offers creative, hand-sewn costumes for kids. “With this book, I hope to inspire that same spirit in all children and parents, and support the idea that fun can be had not only by playing but also by creating fun projects together in completely new and personalized ways.”
These superhero power cuffs and crown leave lots of room for customization: You can choose whatever color material you’d like and play around with the decorative shapes that adorn these accessories. When you’re done, you’ll have an awesome Halloween costume for kids that you can toss into the dress-up bin for year-round fun. “I even think the power cuffs could make a super-cute set of bangles for everyday wear,” Huerta says.
- Three pieces of different colored felt
- Construction paper (optional)
- Marker
- Scissors
- Velcro
- Needle and thread
- Ruler
- Two pieces of ribbon
To create the power cuffs, layer three pieces of felt on top of one another, with the lightest color fabric in the center. Place a cuff template on top of the felt (you can find one in Superhero Sewing or create one out of construction paper), then trace the shape using a marker and cut it out with scissors. Flip the template over, creating a mirror image, and repeat to make the second cuff.
Place a strip of Velcro along the left edge of the top layer of one cuff and sew in place. Place the matching strip of Velcro on along the right edge of the bottom layer so it aligns when the cuff is closed. To determine the best location, try it on your child for size. Then stitch the Velcro in place. Repeat for the second cuff. On each cuff, sew all three layers together, about an 1/8 inch from the outer edge of the cuff.
Cut out a star shape from felt or construction paper, then place it in the center of each cuff and trace around the shape. Using the ruler, draw radiating lines from the star toward the cuff edges, and stitch along the star and traced lines. Carefully cut out the star shape from the top fabric layer to reveal the middle layer of felt, leaving a slim border inside the stitching. Do the same for the sections between the radiating lines to create “flares.” Then cut away the middle layer of the star to reveal the bottom layer of felt—this will give the cuff some color contrast.
To create the crown, use a template (either from the book or one of your own creation) to trace and cut the shape out of three layers of felt. Stitch along the edges.
Place the star shape in the center of the crown, then trace and cut away the top layer of felt using the same technique as above. Leaving a thin border of the second layer around the star edges, cut away the middle layer of felt, revealing the color of the bottom fabric layer. Sew a piece of ribbon to each end of the crown so you can tie it around your child’s forehead.
Published October 2017
